"The reason why 90 percent of the Spurs roster are European players" - When Kobe Bryant said that European players have more skill than U.S players originally appeared on Basketball Network .
We're living in an era where the idea that international players are taking over the league is stronger than ever and the reign of Team USA in FIBA competitions appears to be coming to an end.
Proof of that is the fact that the last seven MVP winners have all been non-American players. Nikola Jokic just finished a season averaging a triple-double, becoming only the third player in history to do so after Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook .
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP award this season, the Western Conference Finals MVP, the Finals MVP, the scoring title and the Larry O'Brien trophy. The season before, Luka Doncic was the Western Conference Finals MVP and the league's top scorer, while Domantas Sabonis led the league in triple-doubles and we're still waiting for Victor Wembanyama to fully take over.
On top of that, the top two picks in last year's draft were both French — Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr — while Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
Looking at the MVP races, it's clear that the top tier in recent years consistently includes Joel Embiid , Jokic, Giannis, Doncic and Shai, despite stellar seasons from Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum , they haven't managed to break into that elite group. This rise of international, especially European, players was something Kobe Bryant predicted all the way back in 2015 in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
"AAU basketball. Horrible, terrible AAU basketball. It's stupid," said Bryant . "It doesn't teach our kids how to play the game at all. In America, it's a big problem for us. We're not teaching players how to play all-around basketball. That's why you have Pau [Gasol] and you have Marc [Gasol] and the reason why 90 percent of the [San Antonio] Spurs roster are European players, because they have more skills."
"I was kind of fortunate, because when I was growing up in Italy, the Red Auerbachs, the Tex Winters were doing clinics and camps in Europe," he said. "They were teaching the club coaches — all the club coaches were just following their advice and their fundamentals and they were teaching us kids all that stuff. Me, Manu Ginobili , all these guys that grew up around that same time, we're a product of that. I probably wouldn't be able to dribble with my left, shoot with my left, have good footwork," added Bryant.
Bryant was clearly frustrated with the AAU system, which didn't focus much on fundamentals, but instead promoted speed, strength and athleticism, traits that still dominate the NBA today. The pace is faster than ever, but it feels like American players are skill-wise far behind those consistently competing for MVP honors season after season.
Kobe specifically mentioned Marc and Pau Gasol , who were true students of the game. They were early prototypes of players like Jokic — guys through whom you can run your offense, knowing they'll make the right pass because their basketball IQ is off the charts. Not to mention their polished footwork and elite defensive skills.
The NCAA introduced NIL deals two seasons ago to attract players from around the world into the college system, realizing that American players are struggling to keep up with global trends in the league.
Adrian Wojnarowski, former NBA insider and now GM of St. Bonaventure College, recently spent time in Belgrade, Serbia. He stated that he considers Jokic to be one of the top 10 players of all time and Serbian players to be the most talented in the world.
"I think Serbia is currently producing the best players in the world. Players who play hard, put the team before themselves and are well-coached — these are typical traits of Serbian players. Whether they're playing in domestic leagues, the EuroLeague, or the NBA, they all have that same consistency. They're fierce and hungry, and that's exactly what we want at St. Bonaventure," he said.
Interestingly, Kobe saw all of this coming a decade ago, when no one else was talking about it. Now it's general consensus that, with the departure of LeBron James , Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant , Team USA will have a tough time maintaining dominance at the Olympics.
Bryant faced epic battles with the Spain NT and could already sense how close Spain was to catching up, not to mention the legendary playoff battles with the San Antonio Spurs , who featured players like Tony Parker , Manu Ginobili, Boris Diaw…
That generation clearly had a massive influence on today's league. The U.S. no longer knows what to do with its system and has shifted toward recruiting international talent.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
